30 greatest Arrowverse villains, ranked
By Alex Hodgson
6. Malcolm Merlyn
The Arrowverse’s first-ever big bad. Merlyn was the father of Oliver’s best friend, Tommy. He was driven mad after his wife’s death and aimed to destroy the Glades as revenge. This plot, known as the Undertaking, was the brainchild of a number of high-ranking Starling City businesspeople including Oliver’s mother, Moira.
When we first meet Malcolm, he is simply a well-dressed man having a clandestine meeting with Moira in the back of his limo. But quickly, we learn there’s much more to this man than meets the eye. When he first meets Oliver, he defeats the younger archer easily, demonstrating that this well-dressed man is much more dangerous than he seems.
He seemingly perishes on the night of the Undertaking, but it doesn’t take too long before he resurfaces in Season 2. He even reveals to Thea that he is her biological father, not Robert Queen. From then on, he trains her and hypnotizes her to kill Sara Lance.
After Oliver kills R’as al-Ghul, Malcolm takes over the role of Demon’s Head, much to the chagrin of Nyssa. Though he eventually loses this position, he does return as both an enemy and a friend to Oliver Queen. He seemingly sacrifices himself to save Thea in the Season 5 finale, though John Barrowman has recently hinted that Merlyn may return to the Arrowverse.